heroes

I’m excited about the new series of “Heroes” starting this evening. But I’d like to know why this show is so big. Why are heroes popular? I assume that it’s because everyone wants to be able to make a difference or have a positive impact on humanity. I’d like to say it’s because of the storyline. But, try to explain the story to someone who doesn’t watch the show without making it sound ridiculous. I have and it did. My explanation sounded as ridiculous as a friend’s explanation of the show “Lost” which I have never watched.
True heroes don’t need super powers. Actually, if a person has a super power that say prevents them from getting hurt, does stepping in front of a bus to save a child qualify as heroic? If there is no risk, is someone acting brave? Dictionary.com defines a hero as, “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities” (it carries the same definition for heroine so as not to leave the females out). Wikipedia defines a hero as, “From the Greekἣρως, in mythology and folklore, a hero (male) or heroine (female) usually fulfills the definitions of what is considered good and noble in the originating culture. Typically the willingness to sacrifice the self for the greater good is seen as the most important defining characteristic of an hero.”
By being a Christian and conducting ourselves accordingly, we have an opportunity to impact individuals, people and humanity in a positive way. None of us have super powers like “Heroes” characters but can have an impact on something greater than one’s life on earth.
The website heroes.com lists a few heroes in a few different categories. One such category is sports, which actually only a small percentage care about or remember. Another category is Activists/Humanitarians. This group contains ordinary people, many of whom are or were impacted by their faith and all of whom sacrificed the self for the greater good.
Another site, MyHero.com, allows people to post people they see as heroes and why. Take a minute and go through that site. None of them have super powers either.